Automatic heat-regulating incubator.



W. W WETHERLA. AUTOMATIC HEAT REGULATING INGUBATOR.

v APPLIGATIONIILED DEQ.19,190B. 938,190.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. W. WETHERLA. AUTOMATIC HEAT REGULATING'INCUBATOR.

APPLICATION FILED.DEO.19,190B.

Patehted 00t.26,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. I

'WILLIAM TV. WETHETRLA, 0F GHIGAGG, ILLINGIS.

. AUTOMATIC HEAT-REGULATING INCUBATOR.

specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented @ct. an, icon.

a lication filed member 19, race. semi no. ceases.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. Wern- ERLA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Heat- Regulating Incubators, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates particularly to incubators of the class applicable for intents and bacteriological use; and the essential object of this improved device is to utilize'suitable automatic electrical heating means in connection with the incubator for maintaining a constant and uniform temperature therein.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts here'- inafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of this improved automatic heat regulating incubator; Fig. 2 stop or plan view of the electrical controlling apparatus On top of the incubator; Fig.3 a dia raminatic view of the electrical circuit emp loyed therein; Fig. 4 a section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 a section, taken online 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the.

arrow; and Fig. 6 a sectional elevation of the thermometer and attachments employed in connection with the incubator.

The body of thisimproved incubator is preferably of square orrectangular formation, and is usuall. made from metal suitably lined with asbgs tion of heat generated therein, and comprises, as indicated in Fig.v l,'a hinged top 'or cover 7 provided in its center with a piece of glass 8; and. the incubator frame as a whole is mounted upon supporting standards or uprights 9, as usual. A transverse support 10 is positionedbetween said standards, and has companion braclrets or arms 11 secured centrally on its under side for receiving and retaining a movable drawer 12 which normally contains moisture; and

as the air is admitted therein it travels upwardly through wire auze 13 spread over a central opening in the transverse support 10. As shown, a plurality of incandescent lamps it are ositioned directly above the wire gauze, w ich in common use are of 4 candle pdwer and six in number, and are suitably incased withina housing 15 having a series of slotted openings 16 formed in its top for permitting the admitted air,

tos to prevent the radio-.-

after it has been somewhat heated, to escape into the body of the incubator. As the admitted air travels upwardly, it contacts the transversely disposed gauze netting '17, which usually extends from side to side of the frame, and above said netting, as indicated, is a wire basket 18 of sutlicient size to receive an infant. A wire screening 19 is positioned along the front side of themcubator body to protect the lower end of the thermometer 20 which is inserted through the upper wall of the incubator body; and upon its upper end, as particularly illustrated in Fig. 6, is an elongated adjustable screw 21 having a platinum tip 22 projecting elongated sleeve -21 formed of suitable con-.

ducting metal, which collar extends'downwardly and is surrounded by a metallic strip 21. This strip in turn communicates with suitable wiring, hereinafter described.

On the top of the incubator and at one side thereof is placed an electric controlling mechanism, which comprises apair of main teed wires 25 connected to lamps 14 in the body of the incubator through a switch, which, in this case, is in the form of amercury cup 26. A hard rubber disk 27, located .upon the upper end of the thermostat, has

attached thereto a wire 28 leading .Ztrom a binding post 29 to the mercury in the bottom of the mercury chamber 24, and from a binding post 30 a wire 31 leads through a resistance coil 35 to an electromagnet 32. A wire 31 leads from the electromagnet and is connected to a main feed wire 25*. The wire 28, above referred to, leading to the bottom of the mercury chamber, is in communication with a feed wire 25, thus establishing, when a connection is made between the platinum tip located in the thermostat and the mercury, a current which will energize the magnet As the magnet 32 is actuated, it will cause the arm 33 to rise, breaking the connection in the mercury ,cup 26 and stopping the current from flowing therethrough to the lamps 14. When, however, the temperature in the. incubatoris cooled 'which is used for the purpose of lighting the interior of the incubator. This lamp can, of course, be operated at any time and is not dependent upon the electrical connection above referred to.

The operation of the electrical controlling apparatus is as follows: When the lights 14 are in use, the current is conducted from the -main feed wire 25, through the mercury cups 526, thence into the incubator to the lampsl i. When, however, the heat generated therefrom is suiiicient to act on the thermostat and raise the mercury to a sufficient height therein to establish a connection between the, mercury and the platinum tip 22, the current is shunted and passes through a wire to the binding post 29 into the wire 28 leading. to the bottom of the thermostat, completing a circuit, which acts on the electromagnet 32 to raise the armature 33 and break the connection in the mercury on s 26 and the circuit to the incandescent amps 14. The current then passes from the electromagnet into the resistance coil 35 and thence to the main feed wires.

A satisfactory temperature for hospital work has been found to be a proximately 98% F., and this improved e ectrical controlling apparatus has been found to produce excellent results, inasmuch as the elec- ,trical current will constantly maintain the desired temperature within the incubator body. The utilization of electrical heating means for this device is highly superior to other heating apparatus, as, for 1nstance,

when gas is used, the gas pipe pressure often fluctuates and at times is entirely insufficient and inadequate for the purposes in tended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an incubator, a thermostat consisting of a glass tube, a column of mercury in said tube,-an outer tube surrounding the mercury tube, ether located in the lower portion of the outer tube, a metallic sleeve on the upper portion of the tube, a collaron the sleeve, an adjustable screw entered into said collar, a platinum tip on the adjustable screw, a wire leading from the bottom of the mercury column, and a wire leading from the elongated metallic sleeve, substantially as described.

2. In an incubator, an incubator body provided with incandescent lamps, main teed wires for supplying current to the lamps, a set of mercury cups, an electromagnet for operating said mercury cups, a thermostat connecting with the electromagnet, said thermostat consisting of a glass tube, a column of mercury in said tube, an outer tube surrounding the mercury tube, ether located in the lower portion of the outer tube, a metallic sleeve on the upper portion of the tube, a collar on the sleeve, an adjustable screw entered into said collar, a platinum tip on the adjustable screw, a wire leading from the bottom of the mercury column, and

a wire leading from the elongated metallic sleeve, substantially as described.

3. In an incubator, an incubator body provided with incandescent lamps, main teed wires for supplying current to the lamps, a thermostat in connection with one of the main feed wires, said thermostat consisting of a glass tube, a column of mercury in said tube, an outer tube surrounding the mercury tube, ether located in the lower portion of the outer tube, a metallic sleeve on the upper portion of the tube, a collar on the sleeve, an adjustable screw entered into said collar, a platinum tip on the adjustable screw, a wire leading from the bottom of the mercury column, a wire leading from the elongated metallic sleeve, an electromagnet, a connectionbetween the thermostat and the electromagnet, a connection between the other main feed wire and the electromagnet, and a set of mercury cups provided with an arm actuated b the electromagnet, substantially as descri ed.

WILLIAM W; WETHERLA. 

